Finishing machine having resiliently segmented finishing chamber

ABSTRACT

AN APPARATUS FOR FINISHING PARTS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FINISHING CHAMBER RESILIENTLY MOUNTED FOR VIBRATION AND DIVIDED INTO SEGMENTS, VIBRATORY MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH EACH SEGMENT, AND A FLEXIBLE CONNECTING MEMBERS CONNECTING ADJACENT SEGMENTS, THUS FORMING A CONTINUOUS ELONGATED FINISHING CHAMBER, WHICH CAN BE USED IN EFFECTIVELY FINISHING PARTS HAVING RELATIVELY GREAT LENGTHS OR IN EFFECTIVE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING.

Dec. 7, 1971 ,w BALZ 3,624,910

FINISHING MACHINE Hume RESILIENTLY SEGMENTED FINISHING CHAMBER Filed Sept. 10. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 B an G. FINISHING MACHINE HAVING RESILIENTLY 7, 1971 w. BALZ SEGMENTED FINISHING CHAMBER 3 Shoots-Shoot 3 Filed Sept. 10, 1.968

INVENTORU Gunther W 50/:

AT'TO EYS United States Patent O 3,624,970 FINISHING MACHINE HAVING RESILIENTLY SEGMENTED FINISHING CHAMBER Gunther W. Balz, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor to Roto-Finish Company, Kalamazoo, Mich. Filed Sept. 10, 1968, Ser. No. 758,911 Int. Cl. B24b 31/06, 31/10, N

US. Cl. 51163 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for finishing parts comprising an elongated finishing chamberresiliently mounted for vibration and divided into segments, vibratory means operatively associated with each segment, and a flexible connecting member connecting adjacent segments, thus forming a continuous elongated finishing chamber, which can be used in effectively finishing parts having relatively great lengths or in effective continuous processing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for finishing parts, and particularly parts of relatively great length, the apparatus having an elongated segmented finishing chamber, the segments of which are flexibly connected, and with which segments are operatively associated a plurality of vibratory means, preferably vibratory motors having eccentric weights on their shafts mounted directly on the finishing chamber housing but optionally merely having shafts with eccentric weights mounted on the finishing chamber housing and actuated by stationary motors through pulley or chain drives, flexible couplings, or the like. Other vibratory means may also be employed.

Finishing machines having vibratory means operatively associated with finishing chamber housings are known in the art. Such machines are used for various forms of finishing, such as abrading, burr removal, b'urnishing, polishing and grinding. U.S. Pats. 2,973,606; 2,997,813; 3,071,900, and 3,161,993 disclose various embodiments of machines having a finishing chamber in the form of a tub with an arcuate bottom and having horizontally arranged vibratory means for vibrating the chamber. Such machines are so arranged that the vibration imparted to the chamber causes the mixture comprising the finishing material and parts to be finished to travel in an orbital path substantially perpendicular to the axis of the chamber bottom and the axis of the shaft bearing eccentric weights. Means is provided for separating the finished parts from the finishing material and discharging the parts at the end of a cycle. The machines described are suited for their intended use. However, they are not Well suited either for finishing parts which are relatively long, as for example long shafts or spars, or for use in certain types of processing, e.g., continuous processing, especially continuous processing which requires an extensive dwell time of parts in the finishing machine. One reason that finishing machines for such purposes have not been available previously is that it has been found impractical, if not impossible, up to the present time, to provide a finishing machine having an elongated finishing chamber and utilizing either a single vibratory motor or a single unsegmented finishing chamber for such operations. Efforts previously made by the present inventor along these lines have not met with success. When a single unsegmented finishing chamber has been employed, it has been rapidly subject to self-destruction due to the various stresses and strains Which arise over the extensive length of the finishing chamber and which rapidly overtax its material strength, especially when of a length "ice of approximately sixteen feet or more. When a single vibratory motor or equivalent source of vibration has been employed, the vibrations imparted over the length of the elongated finishing chamber have been found to vary from end to end so that, especially with elongated work pieces, the central portion of the mass presents a node and the outer reaches present an area of maximum amplitude, resulting in uneven and in fact irreproducible degrees of finishing in the various areas. Moreover, such unevenness of vibration has also detracted materially from the life of the finishing machines, which in such cases have an extremely short and uneconomic useful life, which have therefore been of necessity limited to a finishing chamber of approximately sixteen foot or shorter lengths. These and other problems are obviated by the provision of the apparatus of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a finishing machine for finishing parts, e.g., metal, plastic, ceramic, glass, or wooden parts, by vibrating the articles with a finishing material in a finishing chamber. It is another object to provide an apparatus of the type described having an elongated finishing chamber adapted to receive and finish parts having relatively great lengths. It is a further object to provide a finishing machine having an elongated chamber which is adaptable for use as a continuous process machine. It is still further an object to provide a finishing machine having an elongated finishing chamber, and wherein the machine may be vibrated without damage or destruction to the chamber. Additional objects and advantages will be apparent to one skilled in the art and still other advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

According to the invention, a novel finishing apparatus is provided having an elongated finishing chamber of the trough or tub type comprising a plurality of finishing chamber segments or units joined together by a flexible or resilient connecting member which serves to connect adjacent segments together to form a single elongated chamber. An individual vibratory motor or equivalent vibratory means is mounted in conjunction with successive segments, ordinarily each segment of the chamber. As a result of this structure, elongated parts such as shafts may be inserted into the finishing chamber and all portions thereof simultaneously finished. Alternatively the chamber may be used for continuous processing, providing sufiicient length so that the parts remain in the finishing process for a sufficiently long dwell time for completion of the finishing process. Moreover, the previously-mentioned risks of damage or destruction which normally accompany attempts to vibrate an exceptionally long integral chamber are avoided since each of the various segments of the chamber vibrate substantially independently of each other. When lengthy parts are to be finished, the finishing chamber is obviously advantageously open at the top to allow insertion and removal of parts; :for other applications the finishing chamber may be cylindrical or otherwise closed at the top.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention in its preferred embodiments is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a finishing apparatus according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 3- 3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a connecting member.

FIG. 5 is a top view of another embodiment of the invention.

3 FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a top view of still another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the embodiment illustrated comprises a plurality of individual support units 1 linearly arranged, each unit supporting a finishing chamber housing segment 10, successive finishing chamber housing segments being connected together by flexible connecting members 2. Each support unit comprises a frame 3 formed of horizontal frame members 4 and 5, vertical frame members 6 and 7, and transverse frame members 8. Mounted on each supporting frame 3 is a finishing chamber housing segment 10 defining a finishing chamber segment 11 having a bottom of arcuate cross-section, the bottom of the chamber preferably being semicylindrical in nature. The housing is provided with lateral flanges 12. The housing segment 10 is spring mounted to permit vibration by means of springs 13 having one end mounted on the horizontal frame members 4 and of frame 3, and having the other end connected to the lateral flanges 12 by a suitable means such as welding. End plates 14 and 15 are mounted at the outer end of the finishing chamber housing segment of each terminal unit 1. A vibratory motor 16 having eccentric weights 17 is mounted at the bottom of each housing segment with its shaft oriented substantially horizontally Equivalent vibratory means can replace the vibratory motor, as already mentioned.

The flexible connecting member 2 is shown in detail in FIG. 4 and comprises a U-shaped chamber extension 23 having cross-section :dimensions substantially that of the finishing chamber 11 formed by a bottom member 18 and vertical members 19 and 20. The connecting member further comprises U-shaped flanges 21 and 22 arranged in planes perpendicular to those of the bottom member 18 and vertical members 19 and 20. The connecting member 2 should be formed of a resilient material such as rubber, artificial rubbers such as GRSrubber, neoprene, polyurethane, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, silicone rubber, or any other suitable resilient or elastomeric material. The flanges 21 and 22 may be afiixed to the ends of adjacent finishing chamber housing segments by such means as by bolts, by an adhesive, or any other suitable method, although afiixing is not always necessary.

To prepare the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-4 for operation, finishing material, as for example abrasive chips, is placed in the bottom of the elongated chamber formed by the finishing chamber segments including connecting members. The parts to be finished are then placed in the elongated chamber. Parts having lengths up to that of the entire elongated finishing chamber may be placed into the chamber. Electric current is then applied to the vibratory motors and each finishing apparatus unit is caused to vibrate and to impart orbital motion to the finishing material contained therein. After completion of the finishing operation, the finished elongated parts may be removed in any suitable or convenient manner, such as by a hoist or crane, or by removal of one chamber end 14 or and discharging all contents of the chamber. The present apparatus may also be utilized as a continuous process apparatus. For this purpose, the parts may be introduced at one end and caused to move slowly linearly along the chamber by utilizing suitable means such as suitably positioned vanes in the bottom of each chamber segment, or by tilting the vibratory motors so that their axes are displaced from the horizontal direction. These expediencies, as is well known in the art, cause the parts to proceed slowly longitudinally through the chamber and to reach the other end of the chamber. They may then be removed by any suitable means, such as by a shake separatory screen, a stationary screen, or a magnetic separator.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a modified embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the basic structure is substantially the same as illustrated in FIGS. 13. However, in the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6, the units 1 and the finishing chamber housing segments 10 resiliently supported thereby are arranged in a circle, with the individual chamber segments being connected together by connected members 25 which are similar to the connecting members 2 shown in detail in FIG. 4', but wedge-shaped to permit the finishing apparatus units to be circumferentially arranged. This embodiment provides a finishing apparatus which has a very long finishing chamber and yet one which occupies relatively little space. The apparatus may be used either to finish large annularly shaped. parts, or to provide an extremely long finishing chamber for a large number of smaller parts, the length of which will be limited by the length of the chords of the circle formed by the inner wall of the circular finishing chamber. The apparatus may be arranged to cause the parts being finished therein to move longitudinally through or around the chamber by providing suitably shaped vanes in the bottom of the chamber, by providing a height difiFerential between input and output whereby gravity feed and movement is made possible by tilting the axis of the vibratory motors away from the horizontal, or by other suitable means known in the art. If desired, the parts may be separated from the finishing material as by a bucket, hoist or crane, or discharged from the apparatus by suitable means such as vertical discharge ducts disclosed and claimed in copending application S.N. 414,101, filed Nov. 27, 1964, now US. Pat. 3,400,495, or by providing a removable or pivotable chamber side wall and allowing the contents to discharge in conventional manner onto the floor, a moving track or ramp, or a shake or stationary separatory screen (not shown).

Although the apparatus has been shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in the form of a closed circle or annulus, the circle may be broken at one point and the two ends displaced either laterally or vertically (see FIGS. 7 and 8). In such structure, the apparatus may be provided with vanes or batfles such as those designated by the numeral 26 in FIG. 5, or by tilting the axis of the vibratory motor 16 to cause the finishing material and parts to travel circumferentially in the chamber. One end of the apparatus can then be used as a starting end and the other end as the discharge end. Various conventional means may again be utilized for separating the finished parts from the finishing material, as for example a screen or a magnetic separator. Alternatively, one free end of the apparatus may be superposed above the other free end. A screened trough may then be provided for separating parts from finishing material, such as that shown in FIG. 7, with the finishing material returning to the beginning unit of the apparatus for reuse while the finished parts exit. Where the annulus is broken, as discussed, end plates such as shown in FIG. 1 and designated by the numerals 14 and 15 may be utilized to form a closed chamber. Other conventional means, such as an inclined or shake screen, may also be utilized for separating the finished parts from finishing material.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate still another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment support units 1 such as described in FIGS. 1-3 are again utilized but are arranged in the configuration of a helix having a vertical axis. The individual finishing chamber housing segments 10 are connected by wedge-shaped connecting members 32 similar to those of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6. However, here the units are not only circumferentially arranged, but also rise in elevation from one end to the other. In order to cause the finishing mixture comprising the finishing material and parts to travel upwardly along the finishing chamber, vanes or baifies 26 may be provided in the bottom of the various finishing chamber segments. Alternatively, the vibratory motors may be mounted in a position offset from the horizontal for the same purpose, as is known in the art. A loading hopper 27 may be provided to introduce parts into the lower-most portion of the finishing chamber, and a discharge apparatus may be provided at the upper end thereof comprising a trough or chute 29 connected to the uppermost finishing chamber housing segment 34 and having a screen 28 at the bottom of the trough permitting the finishing material to pass therethrough and to fall into the lowermost or loading segment of the finishing chamber 35 located immediately thereunder, the end of the trough being connected to a discharge hopper 30 for collecting finished parts. A hinge 24 is provided at one end of the screen 28 to permit the screen to be pivoted, exposing a large opening in the bottom of the chute or trough 29. In the open condition, both finishing material and parts are returned through the opening to the lowermost finishing chamber segment 35 positioned immediately below the opening, where they resume the finishing process. The parts and finishing material continue to recycle as long as the screenremains open. When the parts have been sufiiciently finished, the screen is placed in closed position. The finishing material is then separated from finished parts as the mixture travels over the screen, the parts continuing along the trough and being discharged from the apparatus, as into hopper 30, or onto or into other conventional means, such as a moving track, belt, or other conveyor for direct conveyance to the point of use or storage.

The present apparatus has many advantages over similar apparatus known in the art. It permits an exceedingly long continuous finishing chamber to be provided either for finishing extremely long parts or for utilization as a continuous process apparatus. By constructing or arranging the apparatus in the form of a closed or broken circle or oval, or helix, or in like configuration, it permits a very long finishing chamber to be located and utilized within a relatively small space. Curved, including a serpentine, configuration may also be utilized when desired to increase dwell time but stay within a particular spacial limitation. Moreover, by vibrating successive finishing chamber segments separately with a separate vibratory motor (as shown, each segment preferably has its own vibratory motor) and by articulating the chamber segments by means of a resilient connecting member, the danger of damage or destruction of both parts and apparatus is avoided, particularly such damage as generally occurs when an elongated finishing chamber housing is vibrated by a single vibratory unit and/or an elongated part, e.g., a spar or shaft, is being finished therein. Since individual finishing chamber segments are used-to form the over-all elongated finishing chamber structure, the over-all apparatus may be enlarged or reduced in size as needed. Moreover, the individual segments as well as the connecting members and support units are relatively simple and inexpensive to produce, and provide extreme versatility for suiting individual needs as far as length of finishing chamber required or desired, necessary dwell time of parts in the machine, and spacial limitations and available configuration at a particular installation. Gravity feed and movement, i.e., progression of parts and particulate media, may be incorporated into any form of device whether straight, curved, or helical, merely by arranging the input end higher than the output end, such height differential being all that is necessary to produce the desired descending or gravity feed effect.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction, operation, or exact materials or embodiments shown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A finishing apparatus for finishing parts comprising a supporting frame; a plurality of finishing chamber housing segments resiliently mounted on said frame for vibration and linearly arranged from a finishing chamber input end to a finishing chamber output end, each segment comprising a bottom having an arcuate cross-section and having at least one open end; separate vibratory means operatively associated with each of successive segments of said finishing chamber housing and adapted to impart an orbital motion to parts and finishing material present in each segment; and a resilient connecting member mounted between adjacent housing segments and communicatively connecting the open ends thereof, said connecting member defining a chamber of cross-section substantially the same as defined by the housing segments connected by said connecting member and cooperating with said adjacent housing segments to provide a continuous, elongated, articulated finishing chamber.

2. A finishing apparatus for finishing parts comprising a supporting frame; a plurality of finishing chamber housing segments resiliently mounted on said frame for 'vibration and arranged in an ascending manner from a finishing chamber input end to a finishing chamber output end and so that the output end is vertically disposed with relation to the input end, each segment comprising a bottom having an arcuate cross-section and having at least one open end; vibratory means operatively associated with each of successive segments of said finishing chamber housing and adapted to impart an orbital motion to parts and finishing material present in each segment; a resilient connecting member mounted between adjacent housing segments and communicatively connecting the open ends thereof, said connecting member defining a chamber of cross-section substantially the same as defined by the housing segments connected by said connecting member and cooperating with said adjacent housing segments to provide a continuous, elongated, articulated finishing chamber; means for imparting an upwardly motion to parts and finishing material along said elongated finishing chamber to the output end thereof; and separatory means provided at a terminal segment and elevated with respect to another, non-terminal, segment and adapted to separate finishing material used in said apparatus from finished parts, to discharge said parts, and to return separated finishing material to said non-terminal segment for recycling.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 27,084 3/1971 Balz 51-163 3,148,483 9/1964 Van Fossen 51-7 3,503,153 3/1970 Kobayashi 51-17 3,552,068 1/1971 Van Fossen 51-163 445,250 1/1891 Lawless 138-120 486,986 11/ 1892 Schinke 138-120 X 2,693,222 11/ 1954 Krupp 138-120 X 2,815,841 12/1957 Dabich 193-25 X 2,886,082 5/1959 Navari 146-49 X 2,934,202 4/1960 Roder 51-163 X 2,947,401 8/ 1960 Schuricht 193-25 FT 2,973,606 3/1961 Brandt 51-163 2,997,813 8/1961 Brandt 51-163 X 2,997,814 8/1961 Brandt 51-163 X 3,073,069 1/1963 Balz 51-163 X 3,073,079 1/1963 Balz 5l163 3,103,086 9/ 1963 Balz 51-163 3,118,253 1/1964 Setzler 51-163 X 3,161,993 12/1964 Balz 51-163 3,187,473 6/1965 Ruppe 51-163 X 3,209,497 10/ 1 965 Powell 51-163 3,400,495 9/ 1968 Balz 51-163 3,407,542 10/1968 McKibben 51-163 3,496,677 2/1970 Bodine 53-163 X 3,546,821 12/1970 Strom 51-163 X WAYNE A. MORSE, Jr., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

i RFC 23 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION mantra. 3,624,910 Dated wecember 1971 GUNTHER W. BALZ Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 2, line13 "which" Page 2, line 32 and which Col. 3, line 34 "horizontally" Page 5, line 13 horizontally.

Col. 4, lines 9 and 10 "connected" Page 6, line 28 connecting Claim 1 Examiner's Amendments of 4 June 1971 (see also Paper No. 15 of that date) to Claim 1, lines 8, l0 and last line, have not been incorporated in the published patent:

Claim 1 Col. 6, line 6 delete 'adapted to impart" and substitute therefor imparting line 9, delete "and" following "segments" line 15 (last line) change the period to a semi-colon following the word chamber" and insert thereafter "a d m ans for separating the parts and the finishing material.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of June 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer- Commissioner of Patents RM powso USCOMM-DC scam-P69 9 U S GO ERNHENY PRINTING OFFICE I969 0-365-33-1 

